Eco Marine Power says solar panel sails will make waves in the future

The invisible winds have long enabled ships to cross vast seas, but it just can't match fuel for speed and power when you're trying to move tons of freight from continent to continent. Now, Eco Marine Power says it's time to turn back the clock. Well, sort of.

You see, Eco Marine Power has developed rigid sails that can be installed on a ship's deck. Called Aquarius, these sails, at least in theory, could harness wind power for motivation, taking us party back to the days of yore (it is a tried and true idea). Eco Marine Power's sails are not made of cotton, nylon or even kevlar. Nope, these sails are rigid solar panels, so they can harness the energy of the sun to power the vessel's various on-board systems while they also get a wind boost.

Of course, as with most potentially groundbreaking technologies, Eco Marine Power has some hurdles to overcome. For example, the sails take up space on most of the ship's deck, leaving almost no room for shipping containers. This doesn't mean the idea should be scrapped, however: we think this technology could be employed on vessels that don't transport materials topside, something ironic like oil tanker?